An electric motor-driven antilock braking system of the type to which this invention pertains is generally depicted in FIG. 1. Referring to FIG. 1, the braking system comprises a hydraulic boost unit 100, a wheel brake 102, an electric motor-driven hydraulic pressure modulator 104, and an electronic controller 106 for operating the modulator 104 with current from the vehicle storage battery 108. The boost unit 100 develops hydraulic pressure in line 120 in relation to the force applied to an operator manipulated brake pedal, the line 120 being connected to the brake 102 via modulator 104 and brake line 122. Brake 102 is depicted as a disk brake caliper which develops braking force on the wheel rotor 126 in relation to the hydraulic pressure in brake line 122.
The modulator 104 comprises an armature 130 axially displaceable in the modulator bore 132, a check ball 134 resiliently seated on a ball seat 136 disposed between the brake lines 120 and 122, and a bidirectional electric motor 138 coupled to the armature 130 via a reduction gearset 140 and a ball screw actuator 142 to control the axial displacement of armature 130.
Energization of the motor 138 is controlled by the electronic controller 106 in response to a signal on line 144 indicative of the angular velocity of rotor 126. When the controller 106 energizes the motor 138 for rotation in a forward direction, the ball screw actuator 142 extends into the bore 132, thereby extending armature 130 to unseat the check ball 134. This opens the communication between brake lines 120 and 122, and represents the normal or quiescent state of the antilock brake system. When the controller 106 energizes the motor 138 for rotation in the opposite, or reverse, direction, the ball screw actuator 142 retracts armature 130 within the bore 132, permitting spring 146 and the fluid pressure in brake line 120 to seat the check ball 134 on the ball seat 136, thereby isolating the brake line 122 from the brake line 120. In this condition, the brake fluid in line 122 backfills the modulator bore 132, relieving the fluid pressure developed at brake 102.
In antilock operation, the brake pressure in line 122 is modulated by repeatedly reversing the direction of rotation of motor 138 to effect a dithering movement of the armature 130 in the bore 132. When an incipient wheel lock condition is detected, the controller 106 causes the motor 138 to rotate in the reverse direction to retract the armature 130; when recovery of the wheel speed is detected, the controller 106 causes the motor 138 to rotate in the forward direction to extend the armature 130 for increasing the brake pressure.
During the antilock operation described above, optimum braking performance requires different motor speed/torque characteristics depending on the direction of motor rotation. When the armature 130 is being retracted (reverse direction of rotation), the torque requirement is relatively low, but the speed requirement is relatively high in order to enable quick relief of the brake pressure. When the armature 130 is being extended (forward direction of rotation), the speed requirement is relatively low, but the torque requirement is relatively high in order to develop adequate pressure in brake line 122. Unfortunately, the speed/torque characteristics of a conventional electric motor are substantially the same in both directions, and some design compromises must be made in order to provide acceptable performance in both the forward and reverse directions of motor rotation. Of course, this involves some sacrifice in the antilock braking performance.